Charger for an aerosol delivery device

ABSTRACT

A charger for an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridge equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition. The control body is coupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device. The charger comprises a housing, a connector and a power supply from which the power source is rechargeable when the charger is engaged with the control body. The connector is coupled to the housing and configured to engage the charger with the control body. The power supply comprises a photovoltaic cell configured to convert light energy to electrical energy and generate a corresponding voltage output, and a buck converter configured to step down the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices such assmoking articles, and more particularly to aerosol delivery devices thatmay utilize electrically generated heat for the production of aerosol(e.g., smoking articles commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes).The smoking articles may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor,which may incorporate materials that may be made or derived from, orotherwise incorporate tobacco, the precursor being capable of forming aninhalable substance for human consumption.

BACKGROUND

Many devices have been proposed through the years as improvements upon,or alternatives to, smoking products that require combusting tobacco foruse. Many of those devices purportedly have been designed to provide thesensations associated with cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking, butwithout delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion andpyrolysis products that result from the burning of tobacco. To this end,there have been proposed numerous alternative smoking products, flavorgenerators, and medicinal inhalers that utilize electrical energy tovaporize or heat a volatile material, or attempt to provide thesensations of cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking without burning tobaccoto a significant degree. See, for example, the various alternativesmoking articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat generating sourcesset forth in the background art described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,737 toCollett et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/0255702 to Griffith Jr. etal., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0000638 to Sebastian et al., U.S. Pat.App. Pub. No. 2014/0096781 to Sears et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2014/0096782 to Ampolini et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015/0059780 toDavis et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/222,615 to Watsonet al., filed Jul. 28, 2016, all of which are incorporated herein byreference. See also, for example, the various embodiments of productsand heating configurations described in the background sections of U.S.Pat. No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,371 toRobinson et al., which are incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

However, it may be desirable to provide a charger for aerosol deliverydevices with improved electronics such as high current charging of thedevices.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods offorming such devices, and elements of such devices. The presentdisclosure thus includes, without limitation, the following exampleimplementations. In some example implementations, a charger for anaerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery deviceincludes a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridgeequipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursorcomposition. The charger may include a housing, a connector and a powersupply. The connector is coupled to the housing and configured to engagethe charger with the control body coupled or coupleable with thecartridge to form the aerosol delivery device. The power source isrechargeable from the power supply when the charger is engaged with thecontrol body. The power source comprises a photovoltaic cell configuredto convert light energy to electrical energy and generate acorresponding voltage output, and a buck converter configured to stepdown the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage from which thepower source is rechargeable.

In some example implementations of the charger of the preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thecharger further comprises an input device including a capacitive sensorconfigured to detect a user input indicating a selected voltage, thepower supply being configured to adjust the corresponding voltage outputto the selected voltage in response to the user input so detected.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thecapacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensional capacitive sensorconfigured to implement respectively a button, slider or wheel, ortouchscreen or touchpad.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, theselected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for which thebuck converter includes a corresponding plurality of output terminals,and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arrays ofresistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respective oneof the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whose resistanceis directly proportional to a respective one of the plurality ofselectable voltages.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the buckconverter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thevoltage output from the photovoltaic cell is between 14 to 22 volts (V),and the lower voltage output from the buck converter is between 2.7V and8.4V.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes at least one ofa supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes asupercapacitor, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause thesupercapacitor to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage thresholdwithin one (1) minute of recharging.

In some example implementations of the charger of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes a thin-filmsolid state battery, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause thethin-film solid state battery to reach or exceed an end-of-chargevoltage threshold within five (5) minutes of recharging.

In some example implementations, a method is provided for charging anaerosol delivery device including a control body equipped with a powersource, and a cartridge equipped with a heating element and containingan aerosol precursor composition. The charger includes a housing, aconnector coupled to the housing, and a power supply from which thepower source is rechargeable when the charger is engaged with thecontrol body. The method may comprise, at the charger, engaging, usingthe connector, the charger with the control body coupled or coupleablewith the cartridge to form the aerosol delivery device. The may alsocomprise converting, using a photovoltaic cell of the power supply,light energy to electrical energy and generating a corresponding voltageoutput. The method may also comprise stepping down, using a buckconverter of the power supply, the corresponding voltage output to alower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable, and therebyproviding power to recharge the power source.

In some example implementations of the method of the preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thecharger further includes an input device comprising a capacitive sensor,and the method further comprises detecting, using a capacitive sensor, auser input indicating a selected voltage, and adjusting, using the powersupply, the corresponding voltage output to the selected voltage inresponse to the user input so detected.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thecapacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensional capacitive sensorconfigured to implement respectively a button, slider or wheel, ortouchscreen or touchpad.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, theselected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for which thebuck converter includes a corresponding plurality of output terminals,and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arrays ofresistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respective oneof the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whose resistanceis directly proportional to a respective one of the plurality ofselectable voltages.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the buckconverter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, thevoltage output from the photovoltaic cell is between 14 to 22 volts (V),and the lower voltage output from the buck converter is between 2.7V and8.4V.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes at least one ofa supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes thesupercapacitor, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause thesupercapacitor to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage thresholdwithin one (1) minute of recharging.

In some example implementations of the method of any preceding or anysubsequent example implementation, or any combination thereof, the powersource rechargeable from the power supply is or includes the thin-filmsolid state battery, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause thethin-film solid state battery to reach or exceed an end-of-chargevoltage threshold within five (5) minutes of recharging.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be apparent from a reading of the following detaileddescription together with the accompanying drawings, which are brieflydescribed below. The present disclosure includes any combination of two,three, four or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure,regardless of whether such features or elements are expressly combinedor otherwise recited in a specific example implementation describedherein. This disclosure is intended to be read holistically such thatany separable features or elements of the disclosure, in any of itsaspects and example implementations, should be viewed as intended,namely to be combinable, unless the context of the disclosure clearlydictates otherwise.

It will therefore be appreciated that this Brief Summary is providedmerely for purposes of summarizing some example implementations so as toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure.Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above described exampleimplementations are merely examples and should not be construed tonarrow the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way. Other exampleimplementations, aspects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of some described example implementations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the disclosure in the foregoing general terms,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an aerosol delivery device including acartridge coupled to a control body, according to an exampleimplementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away view of the aerosol delivery deviceaccording to various example implementations;

FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away view of a charger coupleable to a controlbody of the aerosol delivery device, according to various exampleimplementations;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate various elements of the charger and controlbody, according to various example implementations; and

FIG. 6 illustrates various operations in a method for controlling acharger for an aerosol delivery device, according to an exampleimplementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to example implementations thereof. These exampleimplementations are described so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to thoseskilled in the art. Indeed, the disclosure may be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theimplementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. As used in the specification and the appended claims, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” “the” and the like include plural referentsunless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, while reference maybe made herein to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationshipsor the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more if not all ofthese may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptablevariations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerancesor the like.

As described hereinafter, example implementations of the presentdisclosure relate to aerosol delivery systems. Aerosol delivery systemsaccording to the present disclosure use electrical energy to heat amaterial (preferably without combusting the material to any significantdegree) to form an inhalable substance; and components of such systemshave the form of articles most preferably are sufficiently compact to beconsidered hand-held devices. That is, use of components of preferredaerosol delivery systems does not result in the production of smoke inthe sense that aerosol results principally from by-products ofcombustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather, use of those preferredsystems results in the production of vapors resulting fromvolatilization or vaporization of certain components incorporatedtherein. In some example implementations, components of aerosol deliverysystems may be characterized as electronic cigarettes, and thoseelectronic cigarettes most preferably incorporate tobacco and/orcomponents derived from tobacco, and hence deliver tobacco derivedcomponents in aerosol form.

Aerosol generating pieces of certain preferred aerosol delivery systemsmay provide many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalationrituals, types of tastes or flavors, organoleptic effects, physicalfeel, use rituals, visual cues such as those provided by visibleaerosol, and the like) of smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe that isemployed by lighting and burning tobacco (and hence inhaling tobaccosmoke), without any substantial degree of combustion of any componentthereof. For example, the user of an aerosol generating piece of thepresent disclosure can hold and use that piece much like a smokeremploys a traditional type of smoking article, draw on one end of thatpiece for inhalation of aerosol produced by that piece, take or drawpuffs at selected intervals of time, and the like.

Aerosol delivery systems of the present disclosure also can becharacterized as being vapor-producing articles or medicament deliveryarticles. Thus, such articles or devices can be adapted so as to provideone or more substances (e.g., flavors and/or pharmaceutical activeingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, inhalablesubstances can be substantially in the form of a vapor (i.e., asubstance that is in the gas phase at a temperature lower than itscritical point). Alternatively, inhalable substances can be in the formof an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of fine solid particles or liquiddroplets in a gas). For purposes of simplicity, the term “aerosol” asused herein is meant to include vapors, gases and aerosols of a form ortype suitable for human inhalation, whether or not visible, and whetheror not of a form that might be considered to be smoke-like.

Aerosol delivery systems of the present disclosure generally include anumber of components provided within an outer body or shell, which maybe referred to as a housing. The overall design of the outer body orshell can vary, and the format or configuration of the outer body thatcan define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device canvary. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigaretteor cigar can be a formed from a single, unitary housing or the elongatedhousing can be formed of two or more separable bodies. For example, anaerosol delivery device can comprise an elongated shell or body that canbe substantially tubular in shape and, as such, resemble the shape of aconventional cigarette or cigar. In one example, all of the componentsof the aerosol delivery device are contained within one housing.Alternatively, an aerosol delivery device can comprise two or morehousings that are joined and are separable. For example, an aerosoldelivery device can possess at one end a control body comprising ahousing containing one or more reusable components (e.g., an accumulatorsuch as a rechargeable battery and/or supercapacitor, and variouselectronics for controlling the operation of that article), and at theother end and removably coupleable thereto, an outer body or shellcontaining a disposable portion (e.g., a disposable flavor-containingcartridge).

Aerosol delivery systems of the present disclosure most preferablycomprise some combination of a power source (i.e., an electrical powersource), at least one control component (e.g., means for actuating,controlling, regulating and ceasing power for heat generation, such asby controlling electrical current flow the power source to othercomponents of the article—e.g., a microprocessor, individually or aspart of a microcontroller), a heater or heat generation member (e.g., anelectrical resistance heating element or other component, which alone orin combination with one or more further elements may be commonlyreferred to as an “atomizer”), an aerosol precursor composition (e.g.,commonly a liquid capable of yielding an aerosol upon application ofsufficient heat, such as ingredients commonly referred to as “smokejuice,” “e-liquid” and “e-juice”), and a mouthend region or tip forallowing draw upon the aerosol delivery device for aerosol inhalation(e.g., a defined airflow path through the article such that aerosolgenerated can be withdrawn therefrom upon draw).

More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of componentswithin the aerosol delivery systems of the present disclosure will beevident in light of the further disclosure provided hereinafter.Additionally, the selection and arrangement of various aerosol deliverysystem components can be appreciated upon consideration of thecommercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such asthose representative products referenced in background art section ofthe present disclosure. Further, the arrangement of the componentswithin the aerosol delivery device can also be appreciated uponconsideration of the commercially available electronic aerosol deliverydevices. Examples of commercially available products, for which thecomponents thereof, methods of operation thereof, materials includedtherein, and/or other attributes thereof may be included in the devicesof the present disclosure have been marketed as ACCORD® by Philip MorrisIncorporated; ALPHA™, JOYE 510™ and M4™ by InnoVapor LLC; CIRRUS™ andFLING™ by White Cloud Cigarettes; BLU™ by Lorillard Technologies, Inc.;COHITA™, COLIBRI™, ELITE CLASSIC™, MAGNUM™, PHANTOM™ and SENSE™ byEpuffer® International Inc.; DUOPRO™, STORM™ and VAPORKING® byElectronic Cigarettes, Inc.; EGAR™ by Egar Australia; eGo-C™ and eGo-T™by Joyetech; ELUSION™ by Elusion UK Ltd; EONSMOKE® by Eonsmoke LLC; FIN™by FIN Branding Group, LLC; SMOKE® by Green Smoke Inc. USA; GREENARETTE™by Greenarette LLC; HALLIGAN™ HENDU™, JET™, MAXXQ™, PINK™ and PITBULL™by Smoke Stik®; HEATBAR™ by Philip Morris International, Inc.; HYDROIMPERIAL™ and LXE™ from Crown7; LOGIC™ and THE CUBAN™ by LOGICTechnology; LUCI® by Luciano Smokes Inc.; METRO® by Nicotek, LLC; NJOY®and ONEJOY™ by Sottera, Inc.; NO. 7™ by SS Choice LLC; PREMIUMELECTRONIC CIGARETTE™ by PremiumEstore LLC; RAPP E-MYSTICK™ by RuyanAmerica, Inc.; RED DRAGON™ by Red Dragon Products, LLC; RUYAN® by RuyanGroup (Holdings) Ltd.; SF® by Smoker Friendly International, LLC; GREENSMART SMOKER® by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd.;SMOKE ASSIST® by Coastline Products LLC; SMOKING EVERYWHERE® by SmokingEverywhere, Inc.; V2CIGS™ by VMR Products LLC; VAPOR NINE™ by VaporNineLLC; VAPOR4LIFE® by Vapor 4 Life, Inc.; VEPPO™ by E-CigaretteDirect,LLC; AVIGO, VUSE, VUSE CONNECT, VUSE FOB, VUSE HYBRID, ALTO, ALTO+,MODO, CIRO, FOX+FOG, AND SOLO+ by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company; MISTICMENTHOL by Mistic Ecigs; and VYPE by CN Creative Ltd. Yet otherelectrically powered aerosol delivery devices, and in particular thosedevices that have been characterized as so-called electronic cigarettes,have been marketed under the tradenames COOLER VISIONS™; DIRECT E-CIG™;DRAGONFLY™; EMIST™; EVERSMOKE™; GAMUCCI®; HYBRID FLAME™; KNIGHT STICKS™;ROYAL BLUES™; SMOKETIP®; SOUTH BEACH SMOKE™.

Additional manufacturers, designers, and/or assignees of components andrelated technologies that may be employed in the aerosol delivery deviceof the present disclosure include Shenzhen Jieshibo Technology ofShenzhen, China; Shenzhen First Union Technology of Shenzhen City,China; Safe Cig of Los Angeles, Calif.; Janty Asia Company of thePhilippines; Joyetech Changzhou Electronics of Shenzhen, China; SISResources; B2B International Holdings of Dover, Del.; Evolv LLC of OH;Montrade of Bologna, Italy; Shenzhen Bauway Technology of Shenzhen,China; Global Vapor Trademarks Inc. of Pompano Beach, Fla.; Vapor Corp.of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Nemtra GMBH of Raschau-Markersbach, Germany,Perrigo L. Co. of Allegan, Mich.; Needs Co., Ltd.; Smokefree Innotec ofLas Vegas, Nev.; McNeil AB of Helsingborg, Sweden; Chong Corp; AlexzaPharmaceuticals of Mountain View, Calif.; BLEC, LLC of Charlotte, N.C.;Gaitrend Sarl of Rohrbach-les-Bitche, France; FeelLife BioscienceInternational of Shenzhen, China; Vishay Electronic BMGH of Selb,Germany; Shenzhen Smaco Technology Ltd. of Shenzhen, China; VaporSystems International of Boca Raton, Fla.; Exonoid Medical Devices ofIsrael; Shenzhen Nowotech Electronic of Shenzhen, China; MinilogicDevice Corporation of Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Kontle Electronics ofShenzhen, China, and Fuma International, LLC of Medina, Ohio, 21stCentury Smoke of Beloit, Wis., and Kimree Holdings (HK) Co. Limited ofHong Kong, China.

In various examples, an aerosol delivery device can comprise a reservoirconfigured to retain the aerosol precursor composition. The reservoirparticularly can be formed of a porous material (e.g., a fibrousmaterial) and thus may be referred to as a porous substrate (e.g., afibrous substrate).

A fibrous substrate useful as a reservoir in an aerosol delivery devicecan be a woven or nonwoven material formed of a plurality of fibers orfilaments and can be formed of one or both of natural fibers andsynthetic fibers. For example, a fibrous substrate may comprise afiberglass material. In particular examples, a cellulose acetatematerial can be used. In other example implementations, a carbonmaterial can be used. A reservoir may be substantially in the form of acontainer and may include a fibrous material included therein.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an aerosol delivery device 100including a control body 102 and a cartridge 104, according to variousexample implementations of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1illustrates the control body and the cartridge coupled to one another.The control body and the cartridge may be detachably aligned in afunctioning relationship. Various mechanisms may connect the cartridgeto the control body to result in a threaded engagement, a press-fitengagement, an interference fit, a magnetic engagement or the like. Theaerosol delivery device may be substantially rod-like, substantiallytubular shaped, or substantially cylindrically shaped in some exampleimplementations when the cartridge and the control body are in anassembled configuration. The aerosol delivery device may also besubstantially rectangular or rhomboidal in cross-section, which may lenditself to greater compatibility with a substantially flat or thin-filmpower source, such as a power source including a flat battery. Thecartridge and control body may include separate, respective housings orouter bodies, which may be formed of any of a number of differentmaterials. The housing may be formed of any suitable, structurally-soundmaterial. In some examples, the housing may be formed of a metal oralloy, such as stainless steel, aluminum or the like. Other suitablematerials include various plastics (e.g., polycarbonate), metal-platingover plastic, ceramics and the like.

In some example implementations, one or both of the control body 102 orthe cartridge 104 of the aerosol delivery device 100 may be referred toas being disposable or as being reusable. For example, the control bodymay have a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery and thus may becombined with any type of recharging technology, including connection toa typical wall outlet, connection to a car charger (i.e., a cigarettelighter receptacle), connection to a computer, such as through auniversal serial bus (USB) cable or connector, connection to aphotovoltaic cell (sometimes referred to as a solar cell) or solar panelof solar cells, or connection to a RF-to-DC converter. Further, in someexample implementations, the cartridge may comprise a single-usecartridge, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,910,639 to Chang et al.,which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 2 more particularly illustrates the aerosol delivery device 100, inaccordance with some example implementations. As seen in the cut-awayview illustrated therein, again, the aerosol delivery device cancomprise a control body 102 and a cartridge 104 each of which include anumber of respective components. The components illustrated in FIG. 2are representative of the components that may be present in a controlbody and cartridge and are not intended to limit the scope of componentsthat are encompassed by the present disclosure. As shown, for example,the control body can be formed of a control body shell 206 that caninclude a control component 208 (e.g., a microprocessor, individually oras part of a microcontroller), a flow sensor 210, a power source 212 andone or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 214, and such components can bevariably aligned. The LED may be one example of a suitable visualindicator with which the aerosol delivery device may be equipped. Otherindicators such as audio indicators (e.g., speakers), haptic indicators(e.g., vibration motors) or the like can be included in addition to oras an alternative to visual indicators such as the LED.

The power source 212 may include, for example, a battery (single-use orrechargeable), lithium-ion battery (LiB), solid-state battery (SSB),thin-film SSB, supercapacitor or the like, or some combination thereof.Some examples of a suitable power source are provided in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/918,926 to Sur et al., filed Oct. 21, 2015,which is incorporated herein by reference.

Examples of suitable solid-state batteries are STMicroelectronics'EnFilm™ rechargeable solid-state lithium thin-film batteries, whichfeature a LiCoO₂ cathode, LiPON ceramic electrolyte and a lithium anode.In particular, the EFL700A39 battery from STMicroelectronics has anominal voltage of 4.1V and thickness of only 220 um. The battery israted for a 10-year life time, and a 4000 charge-discharge cycle life.The battery also has a relatively short typical charge, in someinstances charging in approximately 30 minutes. The battery has aceramic electrolyte, which may produce currents by movements ofelectrons and thus reduce the risk of undesirable dendrite growth in thecathode and anode that may otherwise lead to a short circuit. Theceramic electrolyte may also prevent a fire hazard upon contact withfire.

The supercapacitor may be any of a number of different types ofsupercapacitors, such as an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), ahybrid capacitor such as a lithium-ion capacitor (LIC), or the like.Supercapacitors such as EDLCs may be rated for a fast charge (e.g.,three seconds). The supercapacitor be rated for a long lifetime (e.g.,32 years) and cycle life (e.g., 1,000,000 charge-discharge cycles), andprovide an environmentally-friendly, lower-cost solution. Thesupercapacitor may provide high-current pulses to the electrical load.And as the supercapacitor does not include an inflammable electrolytebetween the electrodes, the supercapacitor may therefore operate withonly a negligible probability of a short circuit.

Hybrid capacitors such as the LIC generally have features of a battery(high voltage and high energy density), while maintaining thetraditional characteristics of a capacitor of rapid charge (e.g., three(3) to one-hundred twenty (120) seconds). A hybrid capacitor may berechargeable, and have the ability to operate on its own for a longerperiod without the need of another source of energy from which thehybrid capacitor may be chargeable. The hybrid capacitor may have alonger lifetime (e.g., 10 years) and cycle life as compared to otheroptions, and is more environmentally friendly.

The cartridge 104 can be formed of a cartridge shell 216 enclosing areservoir 218 configured to retain the aerosol precursor composition,and including a heater 220 (sometimes referred to as a heating element).In various configurations, this structure may be referred to as a tank;and accordingly, the terms “cartridge,” “tank” and the like may be usedinterchangeably to refer to a shell or other housing enclosing areservoir for aerosol precursor composition, and including a heater.

As shown, in some examples, the reservoir 218 may be in fluidcommunication with a liquid transport element 222 adapted to wick orotherwise transport an aerosol precursor composition stored in thereservoir housing to the heater 220. In some examples, a valve may bepositioned between the reservoir and heater, and configured to controlan amount of aerosol precursor composition passed or delivered from thereservoir to the heater.

Various examples of materials configured to produce heat when electricalcurrent is applied therethrough may be employed to form the heater 220.The heater in these examples may be a resistive heating element such asa wire coil, micro heater or the like. Example materials from which theheating element may be formed include Kanthal (FeCrAl), Nichrome,stainless steel, Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂), molybdenum silicide(MoSi), Molybdenum disilicide doped with Aluminum (Mo(Si,Al)₂), graphiteand graphite-based materials (e.g., carbon-based foams and yarns) andceramics (e.g., positive or negative temperature coefficient ceramics).Example implementations of heaters or heating members useful in aerosoldelivery devices according to the present disclosure are furtherdescribed below, and can be incorporated into devices such asillustrated in FIG. 2 as described herein.

An opening 224 may be present in the cartridge shell 216 (e.g., at themouthend) to allow for egress of formed aerosol from the cartridge 104.

The cartridge 104 also may include one or more electronic components226, which may include an integrated circuit, a memory component, asensor, or the like. The electronic components may be adapted tocommunicate with the control component 208 and/or with an externaldevice by wired or wireless means. The electronic components may bepositioned anywhere within the cartridge or a base 228 thereof.

Although the control component 208 and the flow sensor 210 areillustrated separately, it is understood that various electroniccomponents including the control component and the flow sensor may becombined on an electronic printed circuit board (PCB) that supports andelectrically connects the electronic components. Further, the PCB may bepositioned horizontally relative the illustration of FIG. 1 in that thePCB can be lengthwise parallel to the central axis of the control body.In some examples, the air flow sensor may comprise its own PCB or otherbase element to which it can be attached. In some examples, a flexiblePCB may be utilized. A flexible PCB may be configured into a variety ofshapes, include substantially tubular shapes. In some examples, aflexible PCB may be combined with, layered onto, or form part or all ofa heater substrate.

The control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may include componentsadapted to facilitate a fluid engagement therebetween. As illustrated inFIG. 2, the control body can include a coupler 230 having a cavity 232therein. The base 228 of the cartridge can be adapted to engage thecoupler and can include a projection 234 adapted to fit within thecavity. Such engagement can facilitate a stable connection between thecontrol body and the cartridge as well as establish an electricalconnection between the power source 212 and control component 208 in thecontrol body and the heater 220 in the cartridge. Further, the controlbody shell 206 can include an air intake 236, which may be a notch inthe shell where it connects to the coupler that allows for passage ofambient air around the coupler and into the shell where it then passesthrough the cavity 232 of the coupler and into the cartridge through theprojection 234.

A coupler and a base useful according to the present disclosure aredescribed in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al., whichis incorporated herein by reference. For example, the coupler 230 asseen in FIG. 2 may define an outer periphery 238 configured to mate withan inner periphery 240 of the base 228. In one example the innerperiphery of the base may define a radius that is substantially equalto, or slightly greater than, a radius of the outer periphery of thecoupler. Further, the coupler may define one or more protrusions 242 atthe outer periphery configured to engage one or more recesses 244defined at the inner periphery of the base. However, various otherexamples of structures, shapes and components may be employed to couplethe base to the coupler. In some examples the connection between thebase of the cartridge 104 and the coupler of the control body 102 may besubstantially permanent, whereas in other examples the connectiontherebetween may be releasable such that, for example, the control bodymay be reused with one or more additional cartridges that may bedisposable and/or refillable.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may be substantially rod-like orsubstantially tubular shaped or substantially cylindrically shaped insome examples. In other examples, further shapes and dimensions areencompassed—e.g., a rectangular or triangular cross-section,multifaceted shapes, or the like.

The reservoir 218 illustrated in FIG. 2 can be a container or can be afibrous reservoir, as presently described. For example, the reservoircan comprise one or more layers of nonwoven fibers substantially formedinto the shape of a tube encircling the interior of the cartridge shell216, in this example. An aerosol precursor composition can be retainedin the reservoir. Liquid components, for example, can be sorptivelyretained by the reservoir. The reservoir can be in fluid connection withthe liquid transport element 222. The liquid transport element cantransport the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir viacapillary action to the heater 220 that is in the form of a metal wirecoil in this example. As such, the heater is in a heating arrangementwith the liquid transport element. Example implementations of reservoirsand transport elements useful in aerosol delivery devices according tothe present disclosure are further described below, and such reservoirsand/or transport elements can be incorporated into devices such asillustrated in FIG. 2 as described herein. In particular, specificcombinations of heating members and transport elements as furtherdescribed below may be incorporated into devices such as illustrated inFIG. 2 as described herein.

In use, when a user draws on the aerosol delivery device 100, airflow isdetected by the flow sensor 210, and the heater 220 is activated tovaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. Drawing uponthe mouthend of the aerosol delivery device causes ambient air to enterthe air intake 236 and pass through the cavity 232 in the coupler 230and the central opening in the projection 234 of the base 228. In thecartridge 104, the drawn air combines with the formed vapor to form anaerosol. The aerosol is whisked, aspirated or otherwise drawn away fromthe heater and out the opening 224 in the mouthend of the aerosoldelivery device.

In some examples, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a numberof additional software-controlled functions. For example, the aerosoldelivery device may include a power-source protection circuit configuredto detect power-source input, loads on the power-source terminals, andcharging input. The power-source protection circuit may includeshort-circuit protection, under-voltage lock out and/or over-voltagecharge protection. The aerosol delivery device may also includecomponents for ambient temperature measurement, and its controlcomponent 208 may be configured to control at least one functionalelement to inhibit power-source charging—particularly of any battery—ifthe ambient temperature is below a certain temperature (e.g., 0° C.) orabove a certain temperature (e.g., 45° C.) prior to start of charging orduring charging.

Power delivery from the power source 212 may vary over the course ofeach puff on the device 100 according to a power control mechanism. Thedevice may include a “long puff” safety timer such that in the eventthat a user or component failure (e.g., flow sensor 210) causes thedevice to attempt to puff continuously, the control component 208 maycontrol at least one functional element to terminate the puffautomatically after some period of time (e.g., four seconds). Further,the time between puffs on the device may be restricted to less than aperiod of time (e.g., 100 seconds). A watchdog safety timer mayautomatically reset the aerosol delivery device if its control componentor software running on it becomes unstable and does not service thetimer within an appropriate time interval (e.g., eight seconds). Furthersafety protection may be provided in the event of a defective orotherwise failed flow sensor 210, such as by permanently disabling theaerosol delivery device in order to prevent inadvertent heating. Apuffing limit switch may deactivate the device in the event of apressure sensor fail causing the device to continuously activate withoutstopping after the four second maximum puff time.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a puff tracking algorithmconfigured for heater lockout once a defined number of puffs has beenachieved for an attached cartridge (based on the number of availablepuffs calculated in light of the e-liquid charge in the cartridge). Theaerosol delivery device may include a sleep, standby or low-power modefunction whereby power delivery may be automatically cut off after adefined period of non-use. Further safety protection may be provided inthat all charge/discharge cycles of the power source 212 may bemonitored by the control component 208 over its lifetime. After thepower source has attained the equivalent of a predetermined number(e.g., 200) of full discharge and full recharge cycles, it may bedeclared depleted, and the control component may control at least onefunctional element to prevent further charging of the power source.

The various components of an aerosol delivery device according to thepresent disclosure can be chosen from components described in the artand commercially available. Examples of batteries that can be usedaccording to the disclosure are described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2010/0028766 to Peckerar et al., which is incorporated herein byreference.

The aerosol delivery device 100 can incorporate the sensor 210 oranother sensor or detector for control of supply of electric power tothe heater 220 when aerosol generation is desired (e.g., upon drawduring use). As such, for example, there is provided a manner or methodof turning off power to the heater when the aerosol delivery device isnot be drawn upon during use, and for turning on power to actuate ortrigger the generation of heat by the heater during draw. Additionalrepresentative types of sensing or detection mechanisms, structure andconfiguration thereof, components thereof, and general methods ofoperation thereof, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel,Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., and PCT Pat. App.Pub. No. WO 2010/003480 to Flick, all of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

The aerosol delivery device 100 most preferably incorporates the controlcomponent 208 or another control mechanism for controlling the amount ofelectric power to the heater 220 during draw. Representative types ofelectronic components, structure and configuration thereof, featuresthereof, and general methods of operation thereof, are described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks etal., U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al., U.S. Pat. No.6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen etal., U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,622 to Pan, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2009/0230117 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0060554 toCollet et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0270727 to Ampolini et al.,and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015/0257445 to Henry et al., all of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

Representative types of substrates, reservoirs or other components forsupporting the aerosol precursor are described in U.S. Pat. No.8,528,569 to Newton, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0261487 to Chapman etal., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015/0059780 to Davis et al., and U.S. Pat.App. Pub. No. 2015/0216232 to Bless et al., all of which areincorporated herein by reference. Additionally, various wickingmaterials, and the configuration and operation of those wickingmaterials within certain types of electronic cigarettes, are set forthin U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0209105 to Sears et al., which isincorporated herein by reference.

The aerosol precursor composition, also referred to as a vapor precursorcomposition, may comprise a variety of components including, by way ofexample, a polyhydric alcohol (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol or amixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract and/or flavorants.Representative types of aerosol precursor components and formulationsalso are set forth and characterized in U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,320 toRobinson et al. and U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al.;2013/0213417 to Chong et al.; 2014/0060554 to Collett et al.;2015/0020823 to Lipowicz et al.; and 2015/0020830 to Koller, as well asWO 2014/182736 to Bowen et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/222,615 to Watson et al., filed Jul. 28, 2016, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. Other aerosol precursorsthat may be employed include the aerosol precursors that have beenincorporated in the VUSE® product by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, theBLU™ product by Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, the MISTIC MENTHOL productby Mistic Ecigs, and the VYPE product by CN Creative Ltd. Also desirableare the so-called “smoke juices” for electronic cigarettes that havebeen available from Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC.

Additional representative types of components that yield visual cues orindicators may be employed in the aerosol delivery device 100, such asvisual indicators and related components, audio indicators, hapticindicators and the like. Examples of suitable LED components, and theconfigurations and uses thereof, are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,154,192 to Sprinkel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,766 to Newton, U.S.Pat. No. 8,539,959 to Scatterday, and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2015/0216233 to Sears et al., all of which are incorporated herein byreference.

Yet other features, controls or components that can be incorporated intoaerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure are described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,289 to Watkinset al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al., U.S. Pat. No.6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,365,742 to Hon, U.S.Pat. No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2005/0016550 to Katase, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2010/0163063 to Fernandoet al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/0192623 to Tucker et al., U.S. Pat.App. Pub. No. 2013/0298905 to Leven et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2013/0180553 to Kim et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0000638 toSebastian et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0261495 to Novak et al.,and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2014/0261408 to DePiano et al., all of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

As indicated above, the control component 208 includes a number ofelectronic components, and in some examples may be formed of a PCB. Theelectronic components may include a microprocessor or processor core,and a memory. In some examples, the control component may include amicrocontroller with integrated processor core and memory, and mayfurther include one or more integrated input/output peripherals. In someexamples, the control component may be coupled to a communicationinterface to enable wireless communication with one or more networks,computing devices or other appropriately-enabled devices. Examples ofsuitable communication interfaces are disclosed in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/638,562, filed Mar. 4, 2015, to Marion et al.,the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. And examplesof suitable manners according to which the aerosol delivery device maybe configured to wirelessly communicate are disclosed in U.S. Pat. App.Pub. No. 2016/0007651 to Ampolini et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2016/0219933 to Henry, Jr. et al., each of which is incorporated hereinby reference.

In accordance with some example implementations, the power source 212 ofthe control body 102 may be a rechargeable power source and thus may becombined with any type of recharging technology. FIG. 3 illustrates acharger 300 for an aerosol delivery device 100 according to variousexample implementations of the present disclosure. As shown, charger mayinclude a housing 302 and a connector 304 coupled to the housing. Theconnector may be configured to engage the control body 102 which may becoupled or coupleable with the cartridge 104 to form the aerosoldelivery device 100. The charger may also include a power supply 306from which the power source is rechargeable when the charger is engagedwith the control body. Although the charger shown and described hereinmay be a detachably coupled charger, the charger and its configurationmay promote implementations in which the charger is a fixed charger.

FIG. 4 more particularly illustrates the power supply 306 of the charger300, according to various example implementations. As described above,the power source 212 of the control body 102 for providing power toactivate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition. Asshown in FIG. 4, the power source may be connected to an electrical load402 that includes various components of the control body, as well asvarious components of the cartridge 104 when the control body is coupledwith the cartridge. More particularly, the electrical load may includethe control component 208 and heater 220, which may be coupled with thepower source to form an electrical circuit. This may additionallyinclude, for example, the flow sensor 210, an indicator and the like.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the power supply 306 of the charger 300 mayinclude a photovoltaic cell PC (e.g., an organic and/or inorganicphotovoltaic cell) and a buck converter 404. The photovoltaic cell maybe configured to convert light energy to electrical energy and generatea corresponding voltage output, and the buck converter may be configuredto step down the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltage fromwhich the power source is rechargeable.

In some implementations, the voltage output from the photovoltaic cellPC may be between 14 to 22 volts (V), and the lower voltage output fromthe buck converter 404 may be between 2.7V and 8.4V. Further in someexamples, the buck converter may have a quiescent current of onemilliamp (1 mA) such as when the charger 300 is not being used. Itshould be noted that as discussed herein the voltage and current outputsmay refer to actual or approximate values with respect to and within anacceptable error of the design specifications of the charger,engineering tolerances, and the like.

The power supply 306 may be configured to provide a high current, lowvoltage output for rapid recharging of the power source 212. Aspreviously indicated, the power source may be or include at least one ofa supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery. In some examples, thepower source includes a supercapacitor, and the lower voltage issufficient to cause the supercapacitor to reach or exceed anend-of-charge voltage threshold within one (1) minute of recharging. Inother examples, the power source includes the thin-film solid statebattery, and the lower voltage is sufficient to cause the thin-filmsolid state battery to reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltagethreshold within five (5) minutes of recharging.

FIG. 5 more particularly illustrates the charger 300, according to otherexample implementations. As shown in FIG. 5, in some examples, thecharger may include an input device 502 configured to detect a userinput that indicates a selected voltage. In these examples, the powersupply 306 is configured to adjust the corresponding voltage output tothe selected voltage in response to the detected user input. As shown,the input device may be or include a capacitive sensor. In someexamples, the capacitive sensor is or includes a zero-, one-, ortwo-dimensional capacitive sensor configured to implement respectively abutton, slider or wheel, or touchscreen or touchpad.

In some implementations, the selected voltage is of a plurality ofselectable voltages for which the buck converter 404 includes acorresponding plurality of output terminals. In these implementations,the power supply 306 further comprises a plurality of arrays ofresistors (e.g., R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄), in which each array is operativelycoupled to a respective one of the corresponding plurality of outputterminals. The resistance of the respective array of resistors isdirectly proportional to a respective one of the plurality of selectablevoltages.

FIG. 6 illustrates various operations in a method 600 of charging anaerosol delivery device according to example implementations of thepresent disclosure. The aerosol delivery device may include a controlbody equipped with a power source, and a cartridge equipped with aheating element and containing an aerosol precursor composition. Thecharger may include a housing, a connector coupled to the housing, and apower supply from which the power source is rechargeable when thecharger is engaged with the control body. As shown at step 602, themethod may comprise engaging, using the connector, the charger with thecontrol body coupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form theaerosol delivery device. The method may also comprise converting, usinga photovoltaic cell of the power supply, light energy to electricalenergy and generating a corresponding voltage output, as shown at step604. The method may also comprise stepping down, using a buck converterof the power supply, the corresponding voltage output to a lower voltagefrom which the power source is rechargeable, and thereby providing powerto recharge the power source, as shown at step 606.

The foregoing description of use of the article(s) can be applied to thevarious example implementations described herein through minormodifications, which can be apparent to the person of skill in the artin light of the further disclosure provided herein. The abovedescription of use, however, is not intended to limit the use of thearticle but is provided to comply with all necessary requirements ofdisclosure of the present disclosure. Any of the elements shown in thearticle(s) illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 or as otherwise described above maybe included in an aerosol delivery device according to the presentdisclosure.

Many modifications and other implementations of the disclosure set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which thisdisclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specificimplementations disclosed, and that modifications and otherimplementations are intended to be included within the scope of theappended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and theassociated drawings describe example implementations in the context ofcertain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative implementations without departing from thescope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they areused in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A charger for an aerosol delivery deviceincluding a control body equipped with a power source, and a cartridgeequipped with a heating element and containing an aerosol precursorcomposition, the charger comprising: a housing; a connector coupled tothe housing and configured to engage the charger with the control bodycoupled or coupleable with the cartridge to form the aerosol deliverydevice; a power supply from which the power source is rechargeable whenthe charger is engaged with the control body, the power supplycomprising: a photovoltaic cell configured to convert light energy toelectrical energy and generate a corresponding voltage output; and abuck converter configured to step down the corresponding voltage outputto a lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable; and aninput device including a capacitive sensor configured to detect a userinput indicating a selected voltage, the power supply being configuredto adjust the corresponding voltage output to the selected voltage inresponse to the user input so detected.
 2. The charger of claim 1,wherein the capacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensionalcapacitive sensor configured to implement respectively a button, slideror wheel, or touchscreen or touchpad.
 3. The charger of claim 1, whereinthe selected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for whichthe buck converter includes a corresponding plurality of outputterminals, and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arraysof resistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respectiveone of the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whoseresistance is directly proportional to a respective one of the pluralityof selectable voltages.
 4. The charger of claim 1, wherein the buckconverter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).
 5. The chargerof claim 1, wherein the voltage output from the photovoltaic cell isbetween 14 to 22 volts (V), and the lower voltage output from the buckconverter is between 2.7V and 8.4V.
 6. The charger of claim 1, whereinthe power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes atleast one of a supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.
 7. Thecharger of claim 1, wherein the power source rechargeable from the powersupply is or includes a supercapacitor, and the lower voltage issufficient to cause the supercapacitor to reach or exceed anend-of-charge voltage threshold within one (1) minute of recharging. 8.The charger of claim 1, wherein the power source rechargeable from thepower supply is or includes a thin-film solid state battery, and thelower voltage is sufficient to cause the thin-film solid state batteryto reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within five (5)minutes of recharging.
 9. A method of charging an aerosol deliverydevice including a control body equipped with a power source, and acartridge equipped with a heating element and containing an aerosolprecursor composition, a charger including a housing, a connectorcoupled to the housing, and a power supply from which the power sourceis rechargeable when the charger is engaged with the control body, themethod comprising at the charger: engaging, using the connector, thecharger with the control body coupled or coupleable with the cartridgeto form the aerosol delivery device; converting, using a photovoltaiccell of the power supply, light energy to electrical energy andgenerating a corresponding voltage output; and stepping down, using abuck converter of the power supply, the corresponding voltage output toa lower voltage from which the power source is rechargeable, and therebyproviding power to recharge the power source, wherein the chargerfurther includes an input device comprising a capacitive sensor, and themethod further comprises; detecting, using the capacitive sensor, a userinput indicating a selected voltage, and adjusting using the powersupply, the corresponding voltage output to the selected voltage inresponse to the user input so detected.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the capacitive sensor is a zero-, one-, or two-dimensionalcapacitive sensor configured to implement respectively a button, slideror wheel, or touchscreen or touchpad.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinthe selected voltage is of a plurality of selectable voltages for whichthe buck converter includes a corresponding plurality of outputterminals, and the power supply further comprises a plurality of arraysof resistors each array of which is operatively coupled to a respectiveone of the corresponding plurality of output terminals and whoseresistance is directly proportional to a respective one of the pluralityof selectable voltages.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the buckconverter has a quiescent current of one milliamp (1 mA).
 13. The methodof claim 9, wherein the voltage output from the photovoltaic cell isbetween 14 to 22 volts (V), and the lower voltage output from the buckconverter is between 2.7V and 8.4V.
 14. The method of claim 9, whereinthe power source rechargeable from the power supply is or includes atleast one of a supercapacitor or thin-film solid state battery.
 15. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the power source rechargeable from the powersupply is or includes the supercapacitor, and the lower voltage issufficient to cause the supercapacitor to reach or exceed anend-of-charge voltage threshold within one (1) minute of recharging. 16.The method of claim 9, wherein the power source rechargeable from thepower supply is or includes the thin-film solid state battery, and thelower voltage is sufficient to cause the thin-film solid state batteryto reach or exceed an end-of-charge voltage threshold within five (5)minutes of recharging.